Imported Intermediate Inputs and Firms’ Productivity Growth: Evidence from the Food Industry
利用意大利和法国的企业数据，研究了进口中间投入品对食品企业生产率增长的影响，发现进口竞争促进生产率增长，且中间投入品的作用强于最终产品。
Abstract Imported goods play a central role in determining the gains from trade. Using detailed trade and firm‐level data for Italy and France, we investigate the relationship between trade integration, imported intermediate inputs and firm performance in the food industry. Our main findings show that an increase in import competition spurs firm‐level productivity growth. Furthermore, the productivity growth effect attributable to imported intermediate inputs is significantly stronger than the effect due to imported final products. In addition, we find that new imported inputs are of particular importance, especially for Italian food firms, though less so for the French firms. Finally, the productivity growth effect of trade integration tends to be asymmetric across firms: more productive firms gain more from trade integration. These stylised facts have interesting policy implications.